30-doctor GCAP group wants to leave Alliance - St. Louis Business Journal:

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GCAP, a primary care group with abouty30 doctors, joined the hospital system only 20 monthz ago. Now it’s claiming a litany of contract violationsthat “have seriousl affected the ability of the physicians to providde excellent health care for theier many patients.” In a June 3 letter to Healt Alliance CEO Ken Hanover, the doctors list 15 complaints, • Lack of 12 months’ notice on changesa in contractual arrangements, including payment of benefits; • failured to pay vendors, leading to the “embarrassing shutdown of servicesa necessary to operate our business.” The doctors on Wednesdayt filed a complaint in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court.
They ask to be releasede from service to the Health Alliance and for damagesd andattorney fees. When it joined the Health Allianceein 2007, GCAP was the only large, independenf practice of its type in the area. It became a wholluy owned subsidiary of thehospitalo system, which includes University, Jewishn and Fort Hamilton hospitals, and the . The practicer had hoped to benefitt from a complete electronic health record system that could interact withthe Alliance’s as well as the abilityt to expand geographically and recruitg doctors more effectively.
Health Alliance spokesman Tony Condia, in a writte statement, said the health syste was "surprised and disappointed" by the lettef and complaint. He said the Alliance had initially triec to negotiate withthe physicians, then offered independeny arbitration, which the practice refused. The Alliance was preparinv for preliminary discussions to sever the relationship when the lawsuitwas "This litigation violates the terms of the servicwe agreement, which requires us to resolvd disputes such as this with a neutral arbitrator. We wouldc therefore encourage the GCAP physicians to uphold their contractuak obligations and not pursue costly according tothe statement.
withdrew from the Health Allianc following a long court battls that began inMarch 2006. It startede operating independently in 2008 but only signes a final settlement agreement inJanuary 2009. The two St. Luke hospitalsa similarly withdrew, reaching a settlemenrt with the Health Alliance inSeptember 2008. St. Luke has merged with .